A surge in court warrants is dragging cops off the beat and fuelling fears Scotland’s justice system is creaking, with more than 10,000 warrants still unserved and officers warning communities are being left short-changed.
A soaring number of court warrants is dragging Scotland’s police off the streets and piling fresh strain on an already overstretched force, insiders have warned.
Stark new figures show a 22% jump in warrants sent to Police Scotland in just two years — rising from 25,665 in 2023 to 31,367 in 2025 — with more than 10,000 still waiting to be carried out across the country, reports the 1919 Magazine.
Police chiefs have admitted the surge is pulling cops away from communities and piling yet another burden on an overstretched service. They say frontline officers are being left to absorb the consequences of court delays, accused people failing to show up — and a justice system they believe is now creaking badly.
Scottish Police Federation boss David Kennedy delivered a blunt warning, saying the spike is having a “direct and damaging impact” on day-to-day policing.
He said: “Each warrant represents officer time abstracted from local policing, prevention work and visible community presence, and instead diverted into repeated attempts to trace, arrest, convey and then repeatedly attend court,” he said.
“Frontline officers are already stretched thin. They are being asked to absorb the consequences of systemic delays, non-attendance at court, and wider social instability, all while police numbers have fallen significantly since 2013.
“The reality is simple: more warrants, fewer officers, and no additional capacity is an unsustainable equation.
“Without meaningful, system-wide reform and realistic workforce planning, officers will continue to be pulled away from communities to service a growing backlog that they did not create – and the public will ultimately pay the price.”
A report to the Scottish Police Authority reveals senior officers are increasingly worried about the pressure. Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton said it is becoming “increasingly difficult” to keep up, with warrants leading to adjourned hearings, repeated court visits and fading witness evidence.
She added that tracking down accused people — particularly those determined to dodge arrest — can mean lengthy enquiries that “abstract” officers from other vital duties.
Opposition politicians said the situation shows Scotland’s justice system is creaking. Labour’s justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said courts, prisons and policing were “at breaking point”.
“We need to work across our public services to understand and address the causes of no-shows in courts and ensure that our bail system is working as it must,” she said.
While Tory MSP Liam Kerr accused ministers of starving the system of resources and leaving cops to “pick up the pieces”.
But prosecutors insisted warrants are only sought when necessary, and the Crown Office said courts ultimately decide whether to grant them.
The Scottish Government pointed to a record £1.64 billion policing budget this year and stressed warrants are a matter for the “independent courts”. A spokesperson said: “Our police perform a vital role keeping Scotland’s communities safe, which is why we have invested a record £1.64 billion for policing in 2025/26.
“Scotland continues to have more police officers per capita than England and Wales and this continues to be a safe place to live, with recorded crime falling by half since 1991.”
